Pitcher manikin



May 30, 1944.

J. l.. VAUGHN PITCHERMANIKIN Filed Aug. 22, 1942 2 sheets-sheet 1 Jo/zza L. Vak/z NVENTOR.

May 30, 1944. J. a.. VAUGHN PITCHER MANIKIN Filed Aug. 22, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 tfa/zN/L Patented May 30, 1944 PITCHER MANIKIN `lohn L. Vaughn, Chicago, Ill., assigner to Richard W. Hood, Chicago, Ill.

Application August 22, 1942, Serial No. 455,753

6 Claims.

This invention relates to ball projecting devices for game apparatus and has as its principal object the provision of a ball projector which will be simple in construction, economical in manufacture and highly efcient in use.

Another object of this invention is to provide an automatic ball pitching mechanism adapted to receive a ball from a supply source and to project such ball along a predetermined trajectory.

A further object of this invention is to provide an improved ball gripping arm for a ball pro jecting mechanism, the hand of which arm will automatically grasp a ball and hold the latteruntil pitching action is to take place.

Still another object of this invention is to provide in a ball pitching manikin an improved ball holding hand Whichwill automatically grip and release the balll to be pitched in the course of pitching operation of the manikin.

Other advantages and novel aspects of this invention reside in certain details of construction as will become more apparent in the description hereof in view of the drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a right side elevational View of a ball pitching manikin unit embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a rear elevational view of the same, partly in section as seen along line -Z in Fig. l and at slightly larger scale with respect thereto;

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional detail of the same taken along line 3-3 in Fig. 2 with the trunk portion of the manikin bent down in ball receiving position;

Fig. 4 is a skeletonized perspective View of the essential drive connections of the manikin structure to illustrate the body movement thereof;

Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional detail of the upper part of the manikin body, in erect posture attained after reception of a ball as `seen in Fig. 3;

Fig. 6 is aview similar to that of Fig, 5 with the ball pitching arm in extreme retracted condition and about to project the ball;

Fig. 7 is a vertical` sectional detail through the long axis of the ball pitching arm when disposed in the position shown in Fig, 6;

Fig. 8 is a view of the under sideof the arm as viewed from above in Fig. 7;

Fig. 9 is afragmentary perspective view of the' ball gripping hand embodied in the ball pitching arm; and

Fig. 10 is a vertical sectional detail through the ball elevator mechanism embodied in the present manikin structure.

Heretofore in the art pertaining to amusement devices, both robots and manikins have been employed to simulate ball players and various means have been suggested to cause such manilins to undergo a certain cycle of movementto attain the end of pitching a ball. This invention relates to improved means for pitching a ball and among other things there is provided a manikin unit generally indicated at Il). The unit includes a frame I I providing an arbor IZ (Fig. 2) Within which certain cam and drive mechanisms are supported. The manikin proper is designated I3 and includes a fixed nether portion I4 comprising legs which stand upon a plate I5 simulating the pitchers box. This plate I5 is supported on a tube I' extending upward from the frame I I and constituting the left leg of the manikin I3 to dispose the plate I5 at the desired pitch with respect to the horizontal for alignment with the top surface of an inclined playboard (not shown, but indicated by dot-dash line Fig. l).

The manikin I3 includes a trunk portion Il which is pivotally mounted as at I8 at the hipline of the manikin, the upper end ofv the nether portion It providing atrunnion ISI in which is mounted for rotatable movement a shaft 2Q. 'I'he outer ends of shaft 20 are keyed as at 2| to the trunk Vf so that the trunk I'I will rotate with the shaft 2.1i. The left leg being hollowed by reason of the tube i5 provides a clear passage 22 from the arbor Iii, within which the drive mechanism is supported to the recessed interior 23 of the manikin body `wherein certain drive take-off means are employed. The means for driving the trunk into a bent condition constitutes a hub 211 fixedly carried by shaft 20 and provided with a disc formation 25 from which extends laterally an eccentrically mounted pin 23. A connecting rod 2 has an end portion 28 thereof looped about the pin 2li and. has its lower end portion 29 fastened to a swivel block 30 within a yoke 3l formed therein. The block 3H is mounted for rotative movement as at 32 on a rocker arm 33 which is mounted upon a shaft 3s extending across arbor I2. A counterpart of the rocker arm 33 carries a roller 35 disposed in the path of a cam lever 35 carried for rotation on a dri-ve shaft 31 which is supported on the arbor I2 in parallelism with respentv to the shaft 34 and extends from a gear reduction box 38 of a stock drive unit including an electric motor 39.

A shaft lli is mounted for rotation at the shoul der line of the manikin i3 and has its ends projecting eXte-riorly of the body to support the arms of the manikin, the right arm 4I of which is keyed to the shaft 49 for rotation therewith. Means for rotating the shaft 39 comprises a pulley [l2 xedly mounted upon the shaft 45 for rotation therewith. This pulley 42 has arranged thereon a pin 43 to which is attached one end of a exible element 44, in the present instance in the form of a chain comprising a plurality of links. The opposite end of the ilexible element 44 is attached to a hook i5 formed on the upper end of a connecting rod 45 having its lower end disposed in the yoke formation 41 of a swivel block 48 which in turn is mounted for rotative movement as at 49 on a rocker arm 55 carried by the shaft 3d for rocking position by a spring 53 having an end attached to the counterpart 33 of the rocker arm 33 and its opposite end anchored to the underside of the frame II. The two elements 33 and 33' are linked together by a tie rod 54 having a compression spring 55 coiled thereabout and bearing against lateral projection of the two elements 33-33' thus transmitting motion from the counterpart 33' to the rocker arm 33 to urge the connecting rod 21 upward to rotate the disc 25 and pin 23 into a position to dispose the trunk I1 in erect stature. The rocker arm 59 and its counterpart 59 are likewise linked together by a similar tie rod and compression spring arrangement indicated by like reference characters 54-55 respectively.

The ball pitching arm. 4I is normally held in ball pitched conditionagainst a stop 56 formed on the trunk I1. The shaft 40 to which the arm 4I is keyed is urged into a position to dispose the arm 4I against the stop I56 by a pair of tension springs 51, each of which has one end attached to the shaft 40 by a pin means 58 and its Opposite end anchored on a pin 59 carried by the trunk I1. By these two spring means 51 the shaft 49 and arm 4I will always, when freed, assume a normal position bypulling up on the flexible element 44 when the cam lever 52 associated therewith has its shorter radial edge in engagement with the cam roller 5I.

In the operation of this device the motor 39 is initially energized by a push button switch 98 there being a suitable holding switch 98 which is operated by a disc 99 carried by the drive shaft 31 and recessed as at 60 to provide a stopping point wherein the holding switch may be disposed in broken circuit condition (see Fig. 1). Incidental to the operation of the manikin I3 there is provided a ball elevating mechanism 6I which vis simultaneously operated by the drive shaft 31 through a bell crank 62 which through a chain 63 is connected to a free floating pulley E4 carried at one side of the arbor I2 on a stud shaft 65. Step-up pulley 66 integrally formed with the pulley 64 carries a drive chain 61 which has its free end connected to a plunger 68 which is disposed for vertical movement within an elevator tube 69 and which plunger 68 is normally urged downwardly by a tension spring 1I) (Fig. l0). In the initial part of the cycle of operation of the manikin, the plunger receives a ball 1I from a ball return trough 12 and proceeds to elevate the ball 1I up toward the plate I5. The

upper end'13 of the elevator tube 69 extends up 75 through the arbor I2 and plate I5 to provide an open ball seat upon the upper surface of the plate l5.

As the motor 39 continues to drive the shaft 31 the cam 35 thereof engages roller 35 to depress rocker arm 33-33 thus rotating the eccentric pin 25 on disc 25 to bend the trunk II at hip line I8 into the position shown in Fig, 3. The ball 1I being positioned at the plate I5 is ready to be picked up by the arm 4I by a novel automatic claw 14 constructed in the arm 4I as best illustrated in Figs. '7 to 9 inclusive. In this respect the arm 4I has a deep groove 15 formed on its underside in the direction of its long axis. The end of the arm 4I is formed to simulate a hand 16v with four fingers of the hand extended and the palm of the hand substantially at right angle thereto. The groove 15 extends centrally through the palm of the hand and partially into the under side of the lingers thereof to provide a ball trough later to be explained. A movable lever 11 having a projection simulating the thumb 11' of the hand 1B is pivotally mounted as at 18 in the groove 15 and extends from the heel of the hand to coact with the ngers thereof in gripping a ball. To this end the lever 11 is concaved as at 19 to the contour of a ball and has the forward end of the thumb 11 beveled as at 89 whereby when the arm 4I descends with the trunk I1 as aforesaid the ball will engage the bevel 89 to cam the thumb 11' ln a direction away from the lingers of the hand to permit the ball to be disposed within the concaved portion 19 of the lever 11. The'lever 11 is counterbalanced by' a weighted end 8l which is formed integrally with the lever 11 and extends into the groove 15 in the region of the elbow of the arm 4I. A slot 82 is formed transversely through the weight SI and a pin 83 extends through the arm 4I, slot 82 and groove 'I5 to limit the movement of the weight SI and the thumb 11 on the lever 11.

As shown in Fig. 3 the ball 1I is urged into the claw 14 and the weighted end 8| of the lever 11 pivots the latter into gripping action upon the i ball 1I with the ball engaging the two edges of the trough formed in the underside of the fingers. It will be noted that the concavity 19 of the lever 11 is such as to extend beyond the center of the ball 1I so as to support the latter up in the palm of the hand 16. By this arrangement the ball is rmly held in the hand, automatically by the action of gravity upon the weighted end 8I of the lever 11, without the use of magnetic means or other such devices for attracting metal objects to a projector means. The drive shaft 31 continuing its rotation moves the cam 36 away from the roller 35 while the spring 53 urges the rocker arm 33-33 to normal condition, pushing rod 21 upwardly to move eccentric 26 and with it shaft 20 and trunk I1 to dispose the latter in erect position with a stop notch 84 on disc 25 engaging a stop pin 85 adjustable by screw 86 through the leg 81.

The trunk I1 is now positioned as seen in Fig.

' 5 whereupon the cam lever 52 engages roller 5! to depress rocker arm, 5&1-59 and pull down on the flexible element M to rotate pulley 42 and shaft 40 against the action of springs 51. The ball pitching arm 4I rotates clockwise (as indicated by the arrow, Fig. 5) into full line position as shown in Fig. 6. A spring urged stop means 88 is arranged on shaft 45 and engages a fixed stop 89 in the manikin trunk to prevent the arm 4I from swinging beyond the desired ball pitching position shown. The ball 1I is now released from the claw 14 and is free to be projected out of the hand i6 upon abrupt return of the arm towardnormal position (counterclockwise, Fig. 6). As seen in Fig. '7 the thumb 11 does not engage theball 'H by reason of the Weighted end 8| of the lever 'Il now being on the opposite side of the pivot pin 18 so as torock the lever l1 `counterclockwise, Figs. 6 and '7. The ball 1| is then resting in the troughformed on the underside of the hand and is free to move radially with respect to the swing of the arm 4I about the shoulder shaft 40. i

When the extreme pinnacle of the cam 52 passes the roller 5I the rocker arm 50--50 is free to return tonormal position by means of the tension springs 5l within the trunk l1 thus producing an abrupt swing of the ball pitching arm 4I back to its initial or ball pitched condition (dotted lines Fig. 6). The force of the arm in this ball pitching movement causes the lever 11 to remain in the position shown in Fig. 7 thus permitting the ball H to move under centrifugal force out of the hand 16 and along a predetermined trajectory as though the ball were actually thrown from the hand of a human being. When the arm 4I engages the stop -56 the lever 11 will rotate (clockwise Fig. 5) back into normal ball grasping condition in preparation to receive the next ball to be pitched.

By this device I have provided a ball pitching manikin which actually grasps a ball by the employment of a counterbalanced claw which claw is automatically released from gripping action on the .ball by the same counterbalanced action when the ball pitching arm reaches a totally withdrawn position preparatory to the actual pitching action by the arm.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred form of construction for carrying my invention into effect, this is capable of variation and modication Without departing from the spirit of the invention. I, therefore, do not wish to be limited to the precise details of construction set forth, but desire to avail myself of such variations and modifications as come within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

l. In a ball projecting device comprising a swinging arm pivotally mounted for movement out of normalposition into ball projecting position, an inverted trough formation at the free end of said arm, a lever pivotally mounted on said arm for rocking movement in the direction of the orbit of movement of said arm, a projection on said lever and movable toward and away from said trough formation and adapted to coact with the latter to receive a ball and to hold the latter while said arm is moved into ball projecting position, and counterbalance means formed on said lever normally urging said projection toward said inverted trough formation and adapted to urge said projection in an opposite direction when said arm arrives at a point adjacent said ball projecting position, and the trough formation is disposed in ball supporting position. to release the ball for projection upon return of said arm toward normal position.

2. In a ball pitching device comprising a body having an arm portion movably mounted thereon and movable from ball pitched condition into an inverted ball pitching position and means for bending the body to a stooped condition to dispose the arm in a position to receive a ball from a ball seat and for returning the body to an erect position, the combination of a'ball gripping claw on said arm for grasping a ball disposedon said ball seat and for releasing said ball when the arm reaches ball' pitchingposition, saidclaw compris.- ing a projection on the free end.` of saidarm, a

groove formation in saidarm in the direction of' its long axis, a layer means pivotally mounted 'in said groove formation and having a i movable lever arm disposed opposite said projection4 to cooperate with the latter to embrace a ball, and a counter-balance on said lever and adapted to urge said movablelever arm toward` said projection when the arm is disposed in ball pitched condition, and to urge said movable lever in an opposite direction when said arm is disposed in an inverted position.

3. In a ball pitching device comprising a body having an arm portion movably mounted thereon for movement from ball pitched condition into an inverted ball pitching position and means for bending the body to a stooped condition to dispose the arm in a position to receive a ball from a ball seat and for returning the body to an erect position, the combination of a ball gripping claw on said arm for grasping a ball disposed on said ball seat and for releasing said ball when the arm reaches ball pitching position, said claw comprising a projection on the free end of said arm, a groove formation in said arm in the direction of its long axis, a lever means pivotally mounted in said groove formation and having a movable lever arm disposed opposite said projection to cooperate with the latter to embrace a ball, a counterbalance on said lever and adapted to urge said movable lever arm toward said projection when the arm is disposed in ball pitched condiy tion, and to urge said movable lever in an opposite direction when said arm is disposed in an inverted position to free the ball for projection by centrifugal force of said arm in its return toward ball pitched position, and means for returning said arm to said ball pitchers position.

4. In a ball pitching arm for a ball projector structure including a body disposed in erect position, means pivoting said arm at the shoulder line of said body, means for urging said arm into ball pitched position and means for rotating said arm into ball pitching position, and for releasing said arm for sudden return movement toward ball pitched position, the combination of ball holding means on said arm, said ball holding means comprising a lever pivotally mounted on said arm, said lever having a finger portion thereof disposed to cooperate with said arm to embrace a ball, said lever having a counterweighted end portion disposed to urge said i'lnger portion in the direction of said arm when the latter is disposed in ball pitched condition and adapted to urge said finger portion away from said arm when the latter is disposed in ball pitching position.

5. In a ball pitching device including a body having an arm mounted for rotative movement into and out of ball pitching position and means for rotating said arm into ball pitching position beyond a vertical center line through said body and for releasing said arm for return to normal ball pitched position, the combination of a ball holding means on said arm and comprising a projection on the end of said arm, a lever pivotally mounted on said arm for rocking movement in the direction of swing of said arm, a finger portion on saidA lever and disposed adjacent said projection to cooperate with the latter in grip- 6. In a ball pitching device including abody I1l) having an arm portion mounted for rotatable movement into and out of overhand ball pitching position, means normally urging said arm into normal ball pitched position, means for moving said arm into ball pitching position and for releasing the arm forvreturn to normal position,

the combination of a ball gripping claw comprising, a recessedA hand formation at the free end of said arm, a lever pivotally mounted on said arm for rocking movement co-eXtensive with the rotatable movement of said arm, a thumb formation on said lever and providing a concavity in which to seat a ball, a counterweight on said lever and including means for limiting rocking movement of the latter, said counterweight being disposed on said arm to urge said thumb in the direction of said hand formation to receive and to grasp a ball when the arm is disposed forwardly of said body and adapted to urge said thumb in an opposite direction to release the ball when said armV is disposed rearwardlyof said body.

. JOHN L. VAUGHN` 

